<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unwritten Histories by SassySnowperson</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418901">Unwritten Histories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnowperson/pseuds/SassySnowperson'>SassySnowperson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mara Jade Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Friendships, Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Gen, Luke is basically a golden retriever trying to befriend a cat, POV Luke Skywalker, Planet Naboo (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:28:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnowperson/pseuds/SassySnowperson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Luke suspected annoyed was just Mara's default status when it came to him. He hoped that it was just a mask, and she was secretly fond of him. It didn't seem particularly likely, but she kept taking the jobs he offered, so there might be some hope on that front</em>.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mara Jade &amp; Luke Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mara Jade Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unwritten Histories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My wonderful beta <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosepetalfall">rosepetalfall</a> deserves even more credit than usual, because she managed an amazingly fast beta on this, on top of brainstorming it with me and cheerleading it into being.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So," Mara asked, sounding annoyed. "Why am I here, and what are we doing this time?"</p>
<p>Luke looked up from his datapad, to find Mara standing next to his table in a little tapcafe outside the Theed spaceport. </p>
<p>She looked annoyed too. </p>
<p>Luke suspected annoyed was just Mara's default status when it came to him. He hoped that it was just a mask, and she was secretly fond of him. It didn't seem particularly likely, but she kept taking the jobs he offered, so there might be some hope on that front. </p>
<p>"Mara," Luke replied. He gestured to the chair across from him, and signalled for the waiter to come over, all while wearing what he was sure was a dopey smile. </p>
<p>He was fond of her, no secret there. He had given up on trying to hide it. He had managed to be aloof and professional for all of two trips out with her. Then on job number three, she had taken a blaster bolt in the shoulder. All of Luke's care and concern had come spilling out through the Force in the breathless moments between watching her fall and learning she was still alive. </p>
<p>She had muttered that it was just a burn, and looked vaguely murderous, so Luke had backed off. But the sense of her that lived in the Force hadn't seemed nearly so upset by the care. She had curiously probed Luke's affection and seemed surprised and almost pleased that it was genuine. So Luke let himself show it more and more. </p>
<p>He couldn't explain <em>why </em>he was so fond. She was prickly and antagonistic and had certainly never encouraged intimacy. She didn't trust him, and she wasn't impressed by him. He wondered if that wasn't it, actually. So many people in his life needed Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Mara called him farm boy and harassed him for being too naive. It was a refreshing change. </p>
<p>"The reason we're here," Luke said, after ordering caf the way Mara liked it and enjoying her irritated acknowledgement that it was the right order, "because Naboo has some archival data that seems like it could be a backup of some portion of the Jedi Temple library."</p>
<p>"Please tell me you haven't called me here out of some misguided belief I can help you navigate Theed academia." Mara quirked her eyebrow in a little challenge, and Luke couldn't help but smile again. </p>
<p>"No," he said quickly, "I'm confident in my ability to wrangle librarians. I asked you to come because the samples they sent me didn't feel the same as the rest of the Jedi Archives we've recovered. I was hoping to get your eye on it, see if there's any truth to my instinct that they came from somewhere else." </p>
<p>Mara shrugged one shoulder. "I can try. You know as well as anyone the limits of my knowledge base." She paused for a moment. "This sounds like it's going to be incredibly boring," she added, wrinkling her nose. </p>
<p>"Yes," Luke said dryly. "There's likely not going to be a pressing need to shoot anyone. I know that's got to be a disappointment." </p>
<p>Mara snapped her fingers in a little gesture of dejection and a hint of a smile played around her mouth. </p>
<p>It was these little moments of teasing that like gave Luke hope that there was some real affection underneath all her blustery irritation. Maybe there was, maybe there wasn't, but Luke was okay with Mara keeping that to herself. He already felt less alone, just knowing Mara was out there, and that there was a halfway decent chance that if he asked, she'd show.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Despite Mara's declared disinterest, she had perked right up once they actually got access to the archives. Apparently there was some interesting phrasing that reminded her of something she had studied while in the Empire, and they had spent six hours cross-referencing the lightsaber forms with Old Republic troop combat strategy guides, trying to figure out which one had influenced the other, and if the lightsaber forms may have actually come from a sect outside the Jedi Order proper.</p>
<p>Mara actually had a lot of patience for research. It was refreshing working with her, since her approach was so different. Luke had a few weeks of tutoring with trusted Masters, and very little focus on book knowledge. Mara had spent years with full access to the Imperial archives, skilled teachers, and surrounded by people that would stab her in the back for the slightest advantage. She was knowledgeable, but also skeptical, always looking at ideas in their context and trying to figure out who benefitted from them. It was a little exhausting, but it had its results, and Luke learned quickly, watching her. </p>
<p>Mara was still deep inside the research when a Luke's stomach gave an alarming growl. He looked up at the chrono on the wall, and was surprised at how much time had passed. "Hey," he said quietly (voices carried too far in the near-silent archives). "Let's wrap it up for the day. It's getting late." </p>
<p>Mara blinked owlishly up from the datapad she was scrolling through, then over at the wide arching windows, where the sun was dipping near the shimmering watery horizon. "Yeah," she said after a moment, shaking her head and pulling herself away from the information. </p>
<p>"We'll be back tomorrow," Luke reassured her as they stepped out of the temperature-controlled library into the pleasant warmth of the late-summer afternoon. </p>
<p>"Wonderful," Mara said dryly. She shrugged off her jacket and slung it over her shoulder. "Just what I've always wanted, more reading."  </p>
<p>Luke fought down a smile at that obvious bit of bluster. "I'm going down to the waterfront, I'm told the seafood simply <em>must</em> be experienced, at least once." Luke let his speech fall into the rhythms of Lando's over-eager assistant, who had excitedly nattered on about Naboo while Luke had prepared for the trip. "I'll see you at the archives tomorrow. Unless…" Luke snuck a quick glance over at Mara. "Do you want to come with?" Luke offered, without much hope that it would actually be accepted. </p>
<p>"I'll come," Mara said, and Luke knew his startled pleasure was written all over his face. </p>
<p>Mara gave him a little smile, smug at the fact that she had caused that joy. It was another tiny nod to the fact that she really didn't mind his company, which of course made Luke brighten up even more. </p>
<p>He knew he was ridiculous. It was in his nature, and he had made his peace with it long ago. It was still faintly embarrassing, how easily that ridiculousness popped up around Mara, though. </p>
<p>Their walk down to the waterfront took them around a corner and into full view of the glittering palace. Luke felt something odd stick in his chest, as he thought about his royal mother, kind and sad, the part of his legacy he had the least connection to. </p>
<p>He had visited Naboo before, with Leia, who had taken him on a tour of the palace and even introduced him to some women who had known their mother. It had been a lovely, moving experience. But it had left Luke feeling fundamentally wrong-footed. Leia understood this part of their shared past, the part of where they came from that was royal and responsible and rebellious. Luke didn't feel any connection there. His throughline with their family history was drier, full of scarcity and sand. </p>
<p>"Is there a problem?" Mara asked in a low undertone, her eyes darting from Luke to their surroundings. </p>
<p>Luke fell back into the present, and shook his head. "No, I'm—it's a personal thing." He paused, but Mara didn't lose her wary posture. Whatever she had seen in his bearing or Force-presence must have startled her. Luke added, "My mother was from Naboo. I never knew her. This place makes me think of her." </p>
<p>"Ah," Mara said. Her tone was surprisingly soft, as she continued, "This is pretty different from the desert." </p>
<p>"Very. I was raised by my father's family. I didn't get to know this place until I was an adult. I always feel like I should feel more." He added the last almost hesitantly. He didn't usually talk about these things, and Mara was highly unlikely to be a sympathetic ear. </p>
<p>She didn't seem to mind the foray into intimacy, though. She stared up at the palace, and back to Luke, and after a second, she said, "I never knew my family either. The Empire got me too young." </p>
<p>Luke nodded. "I think that's why they sent me to my father's family. People were less likely to look there." </p>
<p>"You got lucky," Mara said, a faint edge of bitterness in her tone. </p>
<p>"For nineteen years, at least," Luke said. When he thought about his family homestead, the faint taste of char still lingered in the back of his throat. "I'm grateful for the time."</p>
<p>Mara's shoulders hunched. </p>
<p>Luke wondered how much she knew. The inquisitors were Vader's shadows, after all. Luke couldn't see Vader sharing family secrets, but if Mara had been assigned to hunt him, she probably knew what had happened to his aunt and uncle. </p>
<p>"I have some memories from before the Empire," Mara said, and her words were accompanied by a soft Force-push of <em>apology, here</em>. "I never told anyone. Family wasn't something the inquisitors were allowed to have. I remember the ocean, the smell of grass. It reminds me of Naboo, actually. I wonder if I was born here." She looked around searchingly, like she could fix the place that held those memories, if only she could find it. Her eyes stopped over the ocean, and she hesitated a moment, before adding, "My name, Mara. It comes from those memories, too." </p>
<p>Luke took a soft breath. This was more than Mara had ever shared. He sent back through the Force, <em>forgiveness, curiosity.</em> </p>
<p>"Mara," he said softly. He tried for the rhythm of speech he heard from their hosts, and repeated the name again. "Maré. I can hear it."</p>
<p>"Don't pronounce it like that," Mara said firmly. Her Force-presence curled away from his. She had reached her limit on intimacy, apparently. "I'm Mara now, whatever my history was." </p>
<p>Luke withdrew his own presence too, not wanting to smother her. "I understand that," he said, with one last look back at the palace. </p>
<p>Neither of them had the chance to be the person they could have been, if the Empire hadn't risen.  </p>
<p>He steered the conversation back to milder topics, switching to a story of the first ocean he'd seen with the Rebellion, letting her poke fun at him for getting stuck staring at the waves for a good fifteen minutes. She burst out laughing when Luke described how horrified he'd been when he first learned the concept of tides. </p>
<p>"It's terrifying when you're not used to it!" Luke protested, laughing along with her. "Sand dunes move, but at least it's windy! They don't <em>sneak up on you</em>." </p>
<p>He turned toward her, and felt his breath catch. He'd always thought that Mara was beautiful, from that first polite smile she'd given him at the restaurant. He kept it to himself, he certainly wasn't going to go flattering or charming her. He ignored it, and mostly, it didn't come up. </p>
<p>She was laughing, backlit by the dazzling ocean, and she was so gorgeous she took his breath away. </p>
<p>The fading sun set her hair blazing red-gold, shimmering like her own personal sunset. The afternoon light softened her angles. Her skin was practically glowing, the black lines of the patterned tattoos that ran down her biceps to her forearms contrasting beautifully, and the carefully shaded color in some of the shapes gaining a startling intensity. </p>
<p>She looked over at him, sharply, and Luke quickly looked away. He could feel heat in his cheeks, the little blush that would betray him. He was normally better about being careful with this. The intimacy had made him reckless. </p>
<p>"Does your pet governor know you look at other people like that?" Mara asked, a caustic acid in her tone. </p>
<p>Confusion cut through the embarrassment, and Luke glanced back up at her, startled. He tried to figure out who she might mean… "Lando?" he blurted, after a moment.</p>
<p>Mara rolled her eyes. "Yes, Lando, are you dating any other governors?" </p>
<p>"I, no, but we're—it's not like that," Luke couldn't help but wave his hands in a little fussy gesture. "We're not—no." </p>
<p>"You spend most of your time between the New Republic government building, and when you're not there, you're either running around with me, or in Cloud City. Are you sure Lando knows you're...not?" Mara said skeptically. </p>
<p>Luke was struck silent by two important realizations. First, Mara was right. He spent time where Leia and Han and his old Rebellion friends were, where Lando was, and <em>where Mara was.</em> Mara seemed to miss the fact that she had accurately pointed to herself as one of the pillars of Luke's life. </p>
<p>Second, Mara paid attention to his comings and goings. That felt nice.  </p>
<p>"Uh <em>huh</em>," Mara said, like she had scored a point. </p>
<p>"No," Luke said firmly, coming back to the conversation. "Lando is—I fought Vader at Cloud City. We met the day I lost my arm, and he lost the city."</p>
<p>Mara was quiet, but her Force-sense unravelled a little from the tight ball she had curled it into, brushing against him curiously. </p>
<p>Luke let his own feelings out a little more in return. <em>Sincerity, affection.</em> "He saw me at my worst, and I saw the same, and we were gentle with each other. He could have blamed me for being the reason Vader laid the trap, I could have blamed him for betraying Han and Leia, but we decided not to do that. That's the core of who we are to each other. The rest is just…fun. Not the sort of thing with promises." </p>
<p>"Interesting," Mara said. <em>Surprise, amusement.</em> "I always figured you were the true-love-marriage-and-babies sort. And sure, I thought Lando was a strange one to pick for—" </p>
<p>Luke might have had a chance of hiding his reaction if Mara hadn't already been reaching out through the Force. But there was no mistaking his whole-being <em>recoil</em> at the idea. </p>
<p>"Or…not?" Mara asked. But she didn't withdraw and she kept her senses open to him. </p>
<p>Luke did his best to honor it, carefully picking around his words. "I don't think I'd make a very good father. Especially with biological children. I don't think I want to take that chance."</p>
<p>Mara gave a little hum. "Didn't expect that of you," she said after a minute. "You just seemed like the family sort. You know, farm boy," the jab almost sounded affectionate now, "raised all proper. Learned good solid values from your parents, going pass them on through the generations, all that rot."  </p>
<p>The bitter, hysterical laugh erupted out of Luke before he could stop it. "Well, that answers that question," he muttered to himself. </p>
<p>Mara tilted her head. </p>
<p>Luke stopped walking and took Mara's arm, pulling them both off the walkway, over to the railing with the shimmering view of the ocean beyond. He waited long enough to make sure nobody was within earshot, before quietly saying, "My father was Anakin Skywalker." </p>
<p>"I know," Mara said. "Died in the Jedi purge." </p>
<p>"Did Vader tell you he killed Anakin?" Luke asked, half-curious. "That's what Obi-Wan told me." </p>
<p>"Oh," Mara said, and Luke could feel her Force-presence flex against his, <em>shock, no, searching</em>. </p>
<p>She had been trained by Vader. Had known Vader as well as anyone aside from the Emperor, probably. She was smart, intelligent, and bound to recognize the similarities sooner or later. She would probably have figured it out on her own. But that was flimsy justification, really. </p>
<p>The closer truth was that Luke wanted someone else who had known Vader to know. </p>
<p>"Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. He's my father." Luke paused. "He told me so at Cloud City. Right after he had cut my arm off." </p>
<p>"Fuck," Mara said, her fingers clenching around the railing. Her Force-presence did withdraw then, a quick skittering retreat that Luke really couldn't blame her for. </p>
<p>"So, coming at it from the other direction," Luke continued, not able to keep the bitterness out of his voice, "but you managed to nail the target. Center circle score, full points. Passing on the family values is precisely the thing I'm worried about." </p>
<p>"You really shouldn't be telling anyone this," Mara grit out, through clenched teeth. </p>
<p>"Strangely enough, you are not the first person to say that," Luke said dryly. "It's a very damning skeleton in my closet, isn't it?" </p>
<p>"You shouldn't tell <em>me</em> this," Mara repeated, with emphasis. </p>
<p>"Why not?" Luke shot back, feeling stubbornness rise in him. "You actually knew him. You, out of everyone, understands what it means." </p>
<p>"Because my <em>boss</em> is an <em>information broker</em>," Mara hissed. "And this is <em>very valuable information.</em>" </p>
<p>That was a little worrying, the idea of his lineage in the hands of Talon Karrde, ready to sell it to the highest bidder. Luke still didn't think he had made a mistake. "You'll tell who you feel it's right to tell. Maybe it's the sort of thing the galaxy <em>should</em> know, before they go trusting me with the Jedi." </p>
<p>"I—fuck, Luke…" For long seconds, Mara didn't say anything. Then, carefully, she asked, "You told me that you fought both Vader and the Emperor, but didn't kill either one. Vader was the one that killed the Emperor, and that fight killed <em>him</em>." </p>
<p>"All true," Luke said, shuddering as he found himself back in that room, with that pain pouring over him. He reached out and grabbed the railing too, to steady himself. "The Emperor was trying to get me to kill my father, so he could make me his new apprentice. I refused. The Emperor electrocuted me. I would have died, but…there was still some good in Vader, somewhere. He didn't want to see his son killed in front of him." Luke closed his eyes and bowed his head, remembering the smell of woodsmoke and sour melting plastic. "I took his body off the Death Star, and gave him a proper funeral pyre."</p>
<p>Luke was lost in his memories of the moon of Endor and the sky above it, when a touch against his hand brought him back to Naboo, and to Mara. He looked over at her in surprise. This might be the first time she had voluntarily touched him, aside from the strangulation that had started their whole relationship. </p>
<p>Mara wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were still fixed straight ahead, across the sea. But her hand pressed down on top of his, a clear gesture of comfort. "This isn't something the galaxy needs to know," she said, still not looking at him. "I won't tell anyone." </p>
<p>"Thank you," Luke replied. </p>
<p>Mara gave a faint sigh and finally looked over at him. She flinched a little when she saw his gaze, but she didn't look away again. Instead, her Force-presence reached out, lightly brushing over Luke's pain, covering it…not quite with comfort, but with clarity. "You are not your father," she said simply. "You have the same power. But so far you've made good choices with the power you've been given."</p>
<p>Luke let a little of his surprise bubble to the surface. "Was that a compliment?" he asked. </p>
<p>Mara gave a lopsided smile, and pulled her hand away. "Don't get used to it, farm boy. But…keep making those good decisions, and I don't think we're going to have a problem." </p>
<p>"Alright," Luke agreed. </p>
<p>"And if you ever stop making good decisions, I'll be around to stop <em>you</em>," Mara continued. </p>
<p>Luke's surprise surged again, less deliberate this time. </p>
<p>"I could take you," Mara said, misunderstanding his reaction. </p>
<p>"I don't doubt it," Luke replied. "But…you'll be around?" </p>
<p>"Oh, for the love of—" Mara rolled her eyes and looked away. "It's a small galaxy, Skywalker. I'm sure we'll keep running into each other."</p>
<p>"I'd like that," Luke said, relaxing his hold on the railing a bit, leaning in to look out over the sea. "A lot." </p>
<p>"Good for you." Mara sniffed. </p>
<p><em>Yes, it will be,</em> Luke sent thrumming through the Force. It was more than he had ever dared to use with her, fully-formed words and thoughts. </p>
<p>"Shut up," she snapped back, pushing off from the railing. "Come on, idiot. Let's get dinner. We're both too hungry to deal with emotions." </p>
<p>Even though her words were sharp, she didn't withdraw her Force-presence. It stayed pressed up against Luke, and he let himself stretch back, opening up to her <em>shock discomfort trust </em>and letting her see the full of his <em>exhaustion loneliness hope</em>. The strangeness soon faded to  comfortable intimacy, as they talked out loud of less-important things, and wound their way through the city. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I started writing this chapter and just had SO much fun - I love this stage of Luke and Mara's friendship, where Luke is all-in and Mara is very slowly tentatively considering making a friend. :D</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30581987">[Podfic] Backyard Sessions: "Unwritten Histories"</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnabird/pseuds/minnapods">minnapods (minnabird)</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
</body>
</html>